Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu has been sent back to Los Angeles to undergo a medical evaluation, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. Also per Shaikin, manager Don Mattingly said that Ryu felt soreness in his left shoulder after playing catch on Sunday, and the lefty isn’t expected to be ready on Opening Day.

Ryu had a late start to the spring due to a minor back issue, so he has made only two starts thus far. He held the Padres scoreless over two innings on March 12, then allowed three runs (two earned) in three innings against the Rangers last Tuesday.

It’s unclear whether the Dodgers will put Ryu on the 15-day disabled list, though his medical evaluation should give them a better idea of what to do. The Dodgers could simply push his first scheduled start back, as the club has three off days in the first three weeks of the season. If Ryu needs a stint on the DL, Joe Wieland is currently the favorite to take his place, though Juan Nicasio and Erik Bedard are also contenders.

Right-hander Juan Nicasio, who was designated for assignment by the Rockies last week, has now been traded to the Dodgers for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Colorado let Nicasio go early rather than simply non-tendering him before the December 2 deadline, choosing not to pay him a projected $2.4 million salary via arbitration following three straight seasons with an ERA above 5.00.

However, he’s always had good raw stuff and at age 28 he pitched well after shifting to the bullpen, throwing 21 innings with a 3.48 ERA and 17/5 K/BB ratio. For a team like the Dodgers that doesn’t really care about a couple million bucks he provides some nice bullpen depth.

Juan Nicasio, whose career was derailed by a broken neck from a line drive in 2012, has been designated for assignment by the Rockies.

Nicasio came back from the broken neck only to suffer a knee injury as well and has posted an ERA above 5.00 in three straight seasons.

However, he’s still just 28 years old and showed some promise after shifting to the bullpen this season by throwing 21 innings with a 3.48 ERA and 17/5 K/BB ratio.

In fact, as recently as mid-September manager Walt Weiss was talking Nicasio up as a reliever for 2015. But the front office disagreed, or at least didn’t want to keep him around for the projected $2.4 million salary via arbitration.